EVALUATION OF PARAMETERS INFLUENCING GSR’S

RETENTION ON SHOOTER’S HANDS

F. SCHÜTZ, M. S. BONFANTI, S. DESBOEUFS

Institute Forensic Science and Criminology, University of Lausanne,
Lausanne, Switzerland

ABSTRACT: Many articles were published in the literature dealing with the persis-
tence of gunshot residue on shooter’s hands. This work studies different physical pa-
rameters characterising GSR particles such as shape, dimensions and nature, in
order to determine each factor’s influence on the retention of GSR on shooter’s hands.
The present study uses the results obtained by shooting with the same weapon
(a SIG Sauer semi-automatic pistol, model P220, caliber 9 mm Parabellum) and
three different types of ammunition (Geco Sinoxid, Geco Sintox and Winchester
Super-X). The GSR were collected from the shooter’s hands with gold coated
polycarbonate membrane filters; these filters were then examined using a SEM cou-
pled with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer.
Interpretation of results allows the extraction of predictive findings and/or ex-
clude alleged circumstances.

KEY WORDS: Transfer; Persistence; GSR; Data interpretation.

Problems of Forensic Sciences, vol. XLVII, 2001, 380–386

Received 6 April 2001; accepted 15 September 2001

INTRODUCTION

Weapon used is a Sig Sauer, model P220, calibre 9 mm Luger semi-auto-

matic pistol. Experimental conditions are: 1 shooter, 3 types of ammunitions
(see Table I), 4 retention’s time (0, 2, 4 and 6 hours); the whole experiment
was repeated to produce two sets of data. The tester was instructed to con-
tinue his normal daily office activity.

TABLE I. AMMUNITIONS USED IN THE STUDY

Brand Bullet Cartridge case

® 123 grains (8.0 g)
GECO Sintox Brass
Totally metal jacketed (brass)
124 grains (8.0 g)
GECO Sinoxid® Brass
Full metal jacketed (brass)
115 grains (7.5 g)
Winchester Super-X
Hollow Point Silvertip® Brass
Primer Pb-Ba-Sb
(electroplated brass)
Evaluation of parameters influencing GSR’s retention on shooter’s hands 381

The particles collected were characterised with a fully automated scan-

ning electron microscope, in backscattered electron (BSE) mode, with an au-
tomated stage and an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX).
Samples were taken from the right hand back, right hand palm, left hand
back, and left hand palm. About 2500 particles were detected and cata-
logued on the basis of their elemental analysis and shape. Particles were
classified into 4 different categories according to their shapes (spherical reg-
ular, spherical irregular, nodular and others).

PRELIMINARY

Jalanti et al. [1] have already highlighted the following results:

– a poor reproducibility was observed between the two sets of data;
– most of GSR’s particles were lost within 2 to 4 hours after the shot;
– the retention does not depend on the chemical nature of the particle;
– after 2, 4 and 6 hours, the ratio between the number of GSR found on
the shooting hand and the other one is not forseeable;
– the memory effect was observed [2]; particles of Pb, Ba and Sb were
found with the GECO Sintox® ammunition.

HYPOTHESIS

1. The number of particles is decreasing with time;

2. the retention of GSR particles is influenced by their size;
3. the retention is influenced by the shape of the particles;
4. the retention is influenced by the chemical nature of the particles;
5. the shape is correlated with the chemical nature of the particle;
6. the size is influenced by the presence of different elements;
7. the presence of additional elements influences the retention.

GUNSHOT RESIDUES (GSR)

GSR includes powder, primer and metals occurring upon discharging

a firearm [3]. Particles such as Pb, Ba and Sb are coming most of the time
from the primer.
In order to give any conclusions, research with SEM/EDX must be fo-
cused on particles such as Pb, Ba and Sb and a combination of these particles
[1].
382 F. Schütz, M. S. Bonfanti, S. Desboeufs

TABLE II. CLASSIFICATION OF GSR PARTICLES

Unique Characteristic Others

PbBaSb PbBa Ba
PbBaSbSn PbBaS BaS
BaSb PbBaSn BaSn
BaSbS PbBaSnS BaSnS
BaSbSn PbSb Pb*
BaSbSnS PbSbSn
Sb
SbS
SbSn
SbSnS

* Pb pure or in combination with elements other than Ba or Sb (Pb rich).

A distinction between “unique” and “characteristic” particles should be

done, because only these particles are flagged as potential GSR. Wolten and
Nesbitt [4] and Zeichner and Levin [5] have proposed other combinations of
these particles. In this study, only the combinations in bold-faced type are
considered (see Table II).

DATABASE

On the basis of the results obtained in this experiment, a database

FM Pro V. 4.1 was developed. In this database, all the particles collected
were registered, using different fields such as their size, their shape, their
chemical nature and so on. The print screens below illustrate some details of
the database.

Fig. 1. Database of gunshot residue.

Evaluation of parameters influencing GSR’s retention on shooter’s hands 383

RESULTS

Hypothesis 1: The number of particles is decreasing with time.

Hypothesis 2: The retention of GSR particles is influenced by their size.

45
40
35
Number of particles

30
Less than 1
25
1 to 2.99
20
3 to 4.99
15
5 to 10
10
More than 10
5
0
0 2 4 6 0 2 4 6
Tim e [h] and testing

Hypothesis 3: The retention is influenced by the shape of the particles.

10
9
8
Number of particles

7
A01
6
A21
5 A41
4 A61
A02
3
A22
2 A42
1 A62
0
Spherical regular Nodular Spherical Other
irregular
Shape
384 F. Schütz, M. S. Bonfanti, S. Desboeufs

Hypothesis 4: The retention is influenced by the chemical nature of the

particles.

80
70
Number of particles

60 A01
50 A02
40 A21

30 A22
A41
20
A42
10
A61
0
Pb, Sb, Ba, Sb Pb, Ba Pb, Sb Ba Sb Lead rich A62
Ba

Chemical nature

Hypothesis 5: The shape is correlated with the chemical nature of the

particle.

140

120
Number of particles

100 PbBaSb
80 BaSb
PbBa
60 PbSb
40 Ba
Sb
20
Pb rich
0
Spherical regular Spherical irregular Nodular Other
Shape
Evaluation of parameters influencing GSR’s retention on shooter’s hands 385

Hypothesis 6: The size is influenced by the presence of different ele-

ments.

60

50
Number of particles

40
none
others
30
S + others
S, Sn + others
20
Sn
Sn + others
10

0
Less than 1 1 to 2.99 3 to 4.99 5 to 10 More than 10
Size

Hypothesis 7: The presence of additional elements influences the reten-

tion.

120

100
Number of particles

none
80
others
S
60
S + others

40 S, Sn
S, Sn + others
20 Sn
Sn + others
0
0 hour 2 hours 4 hours 6 hours
Time

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlighted the following guidelines:

– the amount of residues on hands or other skin surfaces varies with the
type of weapon and ammunitions used [3];
386 F. Schütz, M. S. Bonfanti, S. Desboeufs

– we got some problems of evaluation with the shape, the chemical na-
ture and the classification of the particles; in this way, it was some-
times difficult to see what was a tendency and what was not!
– we have observed an exponential loss of GSR with time, independent of
factors such as the size, the shape and the chemical nature;
– no preferential retention of GSR according to the size, the shape and
the chemical nature was observed.

THE FUTURE...

This study brings some tendencies, but some work has still to be done in
the following ways:
– others types of tester, firearms, ammunitions should be experimented;
– the influence of others elements (such as Al, Cu and so on) on GSR re-
tention should be determined;
– include statistics in;
– put in relation more than two parameters at the time.

References:
1. J a l a n t i T., H e n c h o z P., G a l l u s s e r A. [et al.], The Persistence of Gunshot
Residue on Shooters’ Hands, Science & Justice 1999, vol. 39, pp. 48–52.
2. K h a n m y A., G a l l u s s e r A., Influence of Weapon Cleaning on the Gunshot
Residues from Heavy Metal Free Ammunition, [in:] Jacob B., Bonte W. [eds.],
Advances in Forensic Sciences, vol. 3, Verlag Dr. Köster, Berlin 1995, pp. 60–65.
3. M u r d o c k J., The Collection of Gunshot Residue, Association of Firearm and
Tool Mark Examiners Journal 1984, vol. 16, pp. 136–141.
4. W o l t e n G. M., N e s b i t t R. S., On the Mechanism of Gunshot Residue Particle
Formation, Journal of Forensic Sciences 1980, vol. 25, pp. 533–545.
5. Z e i c h n e r A., L e v i n N., More on the Uniqueness of Gunshot Residue (GSR)
Particles, Journal of Forensic Sciences 1997, vol. 42, pp. 1027–1028.